Ginger beer from a ginger bug

[EziTasting]

Just bottled up 4.5L ... and the bug + Ginger tea was frothing like nobodies business!
Can't wait to crack one (or all of them)!

[wynnum1]

Noice!

I have now fed mine for 5 days, altho the first 4 were inside in AC and that didn't work too good!
Now it's outside (did sprinkle a pinch of bakers yeast on top) now to let it get really going...

Lol gotto get more ginger for the tea to make the beer!

If you use bakers yeast then that will be what working some ginger beer plants have raisins i think it needs wild yeast off the ginger or other fruit like the raisins Elderflower Champagne is the same no added yeast.

[EziTasting]

Rito,
See what it tastes like... initial flavours were very 'dry' so thinking it'll need some sugar...
Defs has that ginger burn! Find the flavour a little faint, tho.

[prawnz]

If you stuck by the recipe that was posted some time back it will be a bit dry , thats what I found anyway and it suited my missus fine as she likes a DGA . I tried another batch with added sugar in the tea boil up and it was over the top sweet , that was with a full extra cup of sugar , so the perfect brew for me was somewhere in between .
Its obviously a personal taste thing tho .

[EziTasting]

:handgestures-thumbupleft: yarp, agreed!

[Doubleuj]

Just put these down as a side by side comparison.
The bug on the left is grated ginger root and the one on the right is minced ginger.

IMG_6510.JPG

[EziTasting]

Nice. Started off with ginger in a jar, then used some powdered ginger and ended up using real thing, freshly grated.
That would almost certainly account for my issues!

Will have another go at just fresh grated ginger - think that's the best way...


Edit: doh, nothing like stating the obvious!

[TasSpirits]

Just sipping on my first batch, with a dash of Rum, bit light on flavour and a little dry. Will up the ginger and leave the sugar as it is I'm quite liking a dry GB, going to add the Rum before carbonating the next lot.:handgestures-thumbupleft:

[prawnz]

going to add the Rum before carbonating the next lot.:handgestures-thumbupleft:

Cant wait to hear how that goes :handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[bluc]

Adding rum before carbonating sounds interesting i wonder if the alcohol content will affect fermentation/carbonation.

My tap a draft bottles are a fail how do you reakon i could save the brew. Pour into smaller bottles add bit more sugar?

[Doubleuj]

24 hrs in after one feed this morning
Looks like I've got bubbles in the grated ginger one :happy-partydance:

IMG_6537.JPG

[TasSpirits]

Adding rum before carbonating sounds interesting i wonder if the alcohol content will affect fermentation/carbonation.

My tap a draft bottles are a fail how do you reakon i could save the brew. Pour into smaller bottles add bit more sugar?

Maybe add it to the next lot?

[Doubleuj]

Gents, should I be adding 2tsp of ginger and 2tsp of sugar daily or 1?

[EziTasting]

I did both, didn't plan my supplies very well ... better would be 2, but as long as you feed it, I don't think it'll matter!

[prawnz]

I do about a tablespoon of each daily and end up with 8 lt

[EziTasting]

This seems to be working fine now. Once I had added the G-bug to the boiled ginger, I stirred it and then took some of the whole liquid and put it back into the jar where I grew the bug. It's bubbling away again nicely!

Found that adding a couple of teaspoons of sugar to the g-beer once bottles certainly improved the gas production and was more to my taste! Slight sweetness to go with the G-burn :handgestures-thumbupleft: lovely!

Time to go shopping for more ginger! Oh, btw, found some greening nodules on some of my ginger - apparently NOW is the time to plant it, if you're into that sort of thing. Ginger grows best in the warm weather! Can't think of a way to get fresher ginger than that...

[Doubleuj]

My grated ginger root is definitely fizzing now so have boiled up my sugar and water.
didnt know how long to boil it for so only did it for a few minutes to dissolve the sugar.

FYI, unless carbonation takes out some sugar, the final sugar content will be 7.5g/L
The same as Schweppes dry ginger ale.

[EziTasting]

My grated ginger root is definitely fizzing now so have boiled up my sugar and water.
didnt know how long to boil it for so only did it for a few minutes to dissolve the sugar.

FYI, unless carbonation takes out some sugar, the final sugar content will be 7.5g/L
The same as Schweppes dry ginger ale.

I'v been checking on Youtube on how others do it and the consensus is to boil around 10-15 mins...

must admit, the last bottle I'm currently enjoying is much better than the first one! Time to make some more... :dance:

[bluc]

My grated ginger root is definitely fizzing now so have boiled up my sugar and water.
didnt know how long to boil it for so only did it for a few minutes to dissolve the sugar.

FYI, unless carbonation takes out some sugar, the final sugar content will be 7.5g/L
The same as Schweppes dry ginger ale.

Yes carbonation takes out the sugar. It uses wild yeast off the ginger skin instead of adding it. Still a fermentation.

[bluc]

After looking at my options i bought some plastic bottling bottles put a teaspoon of sugar in each and capped them. Will report back when I try one..